Coincidence
by crwbanlletchwith
Summary: Post Dream Thieves. Gansey finds a possible lead to Glendower's location and drags Blue along with him, but what will transpire? Based on the vision Blue and Gansey see in the hollowed out tree in Cabeswater at the end of The Raven Boys.
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure this is the place?" asked Blue, shining a flashlight among the trees.

Gansey didn't answer.

They had been searching this forest for 25 minutes (but it felt more like an hour) because Gansey had found a possible lead to Glendower's location and –despite Blue's protest that it was late, dark and they could check it out in the morning –had dragged her along with him. Nothing looked out of place in this forest, hued leaves spattered the ground, no words were etched on the stones and the trees only whispered when the wind jostled their branches. Blue looked over at Gansey. He knelt in the scattered leaves, brushing them aside to study the bare ground, before moving on to look at something else.

Blue tried in vain to ignore that he was wearing his glasses, but she couldn't seem to stop staring as he studied a small stone in his hand. He looked at it as though it held all the answers; where Glendower is; why Noah is re-enacting his death; if Adam is okay; what will Ronan take from his dream next? A thought flashed in her mind, that maybe the stone knew if she would be the one to cause Gansey's death, or was it just a coincidence that they'd met?

_There are no coincidences._

Obviously the stone held no interest to Gansey at all, because after a moment, he placed it back on the ground and stood. He must have sensed that Blue was watching, because he turned to look at her, meeting her gaze. She turned dramatically and gestured wildly to the surrounding trees "What are we even looking..." she trailed off when something caught her eye.

"Jane?" Gansey asked "What do you see?" But she just she pushed through a couple of small bushes -a few thorns catching her bare arms on the way- to a tree that was easily twice the size of its comrades, ignoring Gansey's calls. But the size of the tree wasn't what caught her eye. No, what caught her eye was the carving in the trunk. It looked like a raven. She'd been around Chainsaw plenty of times to know what one looked like.

"Fascinating" Gansey came up behind her, his breath stirring her hair. Blue moved aside, giving him access to the tree. He reached up to trace the carved bark with his finger when thunder sounded and Blue heard the soft patter of rain on the higher leaves. The strength of the wind increased greatly; throwing eddies of leaves into the air. The rain came down harder, soaking straight through Blue's clothes and she felt a squelch in her shoe when she took a step back. All this had happened in a matter of seconds after Gansey had touched the trunk.

"Gansey" Blue tugged on the sleeve of his collared shirt "I don't like this, we should go. Gansey?" He remained staring at the tree in awe, rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb. Thunder roared again, and lightning struck a tree 20 feet away. Blue shrieked and fell back into the damp leaves. Gansey finally fell out of his trance and spun towards her. He seemed to realise for the first time, the predicament they faced. Blue couldn't hear anything over the roar of the wind but she saw Gansey bend down in front of her and his mouth moving as he said something to her. The only word she managed to read from his lips was "Jane" and he pulled her up.

They ran.

Lightning lit up the forest all around them, casting sinister shadows of tree branches that stretched and tried to pull them back. Blue stumbled over a root and Gansey caught her, grabbing her hand and pulled her along. Mud speckled leaves swirled around their feet and rain ran into Blue's eyes, combined with the darkness that enclosed them, Blue could only see a few feet ahead of her. She tried to focus on Gansey's feet instead, following their step, trusting them to direct her.

Finally they burst out of the forest, the thunder and lightning ceased instantly, the wind calmed and the rain fell in a light drizzle. It was as if it had never happened. The only evidence that it _had _happened, was Blue's dripping hair and the burning soles of her feet. They stood at the edge of the forest for a moment, panting.

"Coincidence" Blue said. Gansey barked a laugh and turned to face her. A familiar feeling crept into her stomach when he looked at her, as if something were coiling into a tight ball. It was the same feeling she had when they had shared that pretend kiss, the one they'd agreed never to speak of again. And they hadn't.

His gaze dropped and his expression changed suddenly. Blue couldn't identify it until she looked down herself. It was longing. For his hand was still entwined with hers. She knew she should let go, but she didn't. His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist, over her pulse point and she shuddered. Looking back up to his face, she found his eyes already searching hers for any restraint. He didn't find any. However before Blue could even think about how dangerous this was, Gansey dropped her hand and walked over to the Camaro.

Blue glanced back at the forest. The weather was completely calm now, save for the occasional tree branch bending and swaying under the influence of the light wind. She sighed and walked over to the car, to find Gansey fussing with his phone. "So Jane, what do you want to do now?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the phone.

"Are you kidding?" Gansey looked at her then, surprised she didn't want to go off on another adventure "I want to go home."

He nodded and smiled, but not before Blue noticed the disappointment that lined his features "Do you mind driving? I have a few calls to make on the way back"

Blue was surprised he trusted her to drive his car, especially after what had happened with Ronan, but she agreed, climbing into the driver's side.

They'd made it two-thirds of the way back to 300 Fox Way when Gansey had finished making his call to Malory and explained everything that had happened that evening. From what Blue could tell Malory wasn't very helpful in response. In that time, Blue's hair and clothes mostly dried, though her shirt still clung to her skin. The Camaro sputtered a few times but thankfully kept moving. Gansey tried to call Adam too, but he didn't answer. Blue tried not to think too much about what that could mean. Clearly frustrated, Gansey tossed his phone on the dashboard and stared out into the night.

They sat in silence for a while, the silence only broken by the occasional patter of raindrops on the windshield. Blue realised suddenly, that tonight was the first time they'd been alone together since their pretend kiss. While the memory made her smile- a sad smile- it also gave her a headache if she thought about it for too long. She decided to focus on something else instead.

"What happened back there?" asked Blue, her voice coming out hoarser than she would have liked.

"Something -or someone- clearly doesn't want us to find Glendower" he paused "or maybe even your mother" he spoke the last part quietly, as though he was unsure whether he should say it. Blue wasn't sure where Maura was but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she was now mixed up in all this. Blue only nodded and silence befell them again. She pulled the Camaro up to the kerb and wracked her brain for something to say.

"This is me" Blue stated dumbly, gesturing to her house. She didn't get out though. The atmosphere of the house was much different without Maura. The absence was obvious and while Blue knew her mother could handle herself, she couldn't help but worry. A determination to find her grew every day, but after tonight, Blue felt crestfallen and lost.

Gansey seemed to understand this and his words found her "You can come back to Monmouth Manufacturing with me if you'd like? There's plenty of room."

She shook her head "No, I'm alright" She regarded him. _Gansey. That's all there is_ "I don't think it would be a good idea if I- we might..."

"Blue" he breathed, raising his finger to caress her face. His fingers felt warm on her cheek and Blue was startled at this delicate touch, as if he were handling something fragile. She startled once more when she realised he hadn't called her Jane. Gansey leaned across the gearshift towards her, his hand slipping down her neck. Distantly, Blue noticed that the collar of her t-shirt had shifted so her collarbone was exposed. When Gansey's fingers made contact with it, she shivered at the feeling of _something_ pulsing through her. Pleasure?

He bent his head toward hers, his lips inches away. Blue was consumed by the smell of mint, the smell of _him. _She almost forgot how dangerous this was.

_If you kiss your true love, he will die _

"Gansey" She warned, her voice was unstable, faltering on the second syllable. Gansey drew back slightly and fixed her with a look; his iris only a thin ring around a dark pupil.

"I _just_ want to pretend" Gansey said, his breath fanning Blue's flushed skin "I want to pretend I could." Blue felt her stomach plummet, the same feeling she would get when she was younger, swinging on a swing-set when Maura would push her forward. He leaned forward again and her eyes closed; a futile attempt to keep her grounded.

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt if _I _kiss _you"_ he continued "maybe it's only if you kiss me." With his right hand still pressed into her collarbone, Blue felt his other hand brush her hair from her face. She almost whimpered at the touch.

_This is dangerous;_ a voice repeated in her head, but she tuned it out and leaned in, snaking goose bumped arms around his neck. Gansey's nose ran up the column of her neck, along her jaw and Blue let out a contented sigh "Gansey..."

She felt him smile against her cheek and he continued his path to her lips. Gansey's lips had only barely brushed hers when the sound of his phone ringing filled the car. Blue was jolted from her mint filled daze and jumped back from Gansey, alarmed at what they had almost done.

Gansey closed his eyes –disappointment cresting his face –leaned back in the passenger seat and picked up his phone from the dashboard. He answered.

"Adam" She heard a grainy voice –who she supposed was Adam –coming through the other end, though she couldn't identify what he was saying "yeah, I called to tell you about what" he hesitated "Jane and I had discovered..." Blue stopped listening after that, her mind whirring over what had just happened between them. How could she have let them go so far? She could have killed him. What if Adam hadn't called at that moment? One thought ran through her mind while sinking back into the seat.

_There are no coincidences_

**_A/N:_ I set the story as in-progress for now because I might carry on with it, but it's not a given yet. It'll depend on what people think of it. **


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hello there. I'm sorry it took a while for me to update, also sorry it's shit. I'll try to improve both things by the next** chapter._

Gansey arrived back at Monmouth Manufacturing an hour later. For much of that hour he sat in the Pig and thought about what had just happened. How could he have let it happen?

He could have died.

He stepped into the building. It was gloomy inside, the only light source being the moonlight that shone through the high windows, casting an eerie glow into the room. Gansey stumbled toward his desk to turn on the light. When the room lit up, his eyes fell straight to his model of Henrietta, remade after it was destroyed, sitting proudly in the middle of the room. More cereal boxes were stacked up next to the model and Gansey considered continuing his insomnia induced project- he knew he wouldn't sleep tonight; his dreams would be plagued by ravens, and lips and her.

However, Gansey thought better of it and turned off the lamp, letting the moonlight shadows stretch for him as he sauntered to his bed. He flopped onto it and stared at the ceiling. When feeling like this, his mother would suggest talking to someone. But this wasn't a mundane problem he could talk about with anyone. Because this wasn't just some girl he was falling for. This was Blue. This was practically life or death. Die by her kiss, or die never having felt her kiss.

Who would he speak to anyway? In his small corner of the universe, Gansey had a limited choice of friends. He knew of Adam's previous feelings for her, heck it was because of his fondness for her that they had first met Blue, so he wasn't an option. Ronan didn't even know of Blue's... predicament, much less how Gansey felt about her. He'd probably be much too unsympathetic about it anyway, telling him to grow some balls. Then there was Noah, who Gansey hadn't seen for days. Blue was by far the easiest to speak to and she was the source of the problem.

He groaned and slipped his glasses off to rub his eye with the heel of his hand.

"What's up?" Gansey sat up, putting his glasses back in place on the bridge of his nose. Ronan leaned a few feet away against the door frame of his bedroom, holding a box of cereal. Light spilled in from his room, so it took a few moments for Gansey to see anything of Ronan other than a silhouette. Ronan stuffed a handful of lucky charms into his mouth, looking as disinterested in life as ever.

"Just frustrated about Glendower. It's harder to find him than I thought" It wasn't a lie; Glendower _did _play a small part in his frustration, just not the main part.

"So you didn't find anything?" he asked digging his hand further into the box.

Gansey sighed "There was a peculiar tree."

Ronan snorted "When isn't there?" Gansey smiled, but he had a feeling the emotion didn't reach his eyes.

"A raven was carved into the bark. What do you suppose that means?" At that moment, Chainsaw flew up onto Ronan's shoulder and began prodding his neck. Gansey had to bite his tongue to stop him from saying it. However, he didn't have to say it; Gansey had been friends with Ronan long enough. He smiled knowingly, stroking his dream-thing's feathers, such a gentle gesture for someone Gansey had always known to use his hands to strike.

"I don't know. That weird Glendower stuff is your thing. I already have my own weird thing" Ronan gestured to Chainsaw, who squawked in response. Shovelling more lucky charms into his mouth, Ronan asked "So are you going to go back?"

"Not yet. I'll wait a few days, try to gather more information about it, perhaps Malory could help. Jane almost got hurt this time; I don't want anyone to die because of me"

"Blue's a big girl. She can take care of herself" Ronan spoke with his mouth full, so Gansey only just managed to decipher what he had said. "If she decides to come with you and dies" Gansey flinched, but Ronan was staring into the box so he didn't notice "that's her fault, not yours."

Gansey knew she could look after herself. _My god, do I know. _But if she died, he would never be able to forgive himself. If anything happened to any of them while looking for Glendower for him, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. It would be one less person in his corner of the universe. Better he die than those he cared for.

"Well" Ronan announced, tipping the cereal box upside down over his mouth to find he'd finished the whole thing in the space of their conversation "Here's another for your model." He placed it at the top of the pile, and then went back to his room, closing the door behind him. The room plunged back into darkness, leaving him with only his thoughts once again.

Gansey sighed, though he knew he wouldn't sleep tonight, he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes anyway, and pretended –just for the moment –that he could.

The following morning, Gansey sat alone in Nino's. He hadn't heard from Adam since their conversation on the phone the previous day. Ronan was already 20 minutes late, which meant he was still asleep and probably wasn't going to show up.

Blue came out of the kitchen holding a pitcher of water and began offering re-fills to the early diners. Gansey sat up straighter and tried his best not to stare at her. He did anyway. It was the first time he'd seen her all morning, the first time since they almost kissed. He watched her smile politely at the customers

She looked up while walking over to the next table. Looked at him. His heart stumbled in its' haste and he couldn't help but smile. The moment seemed to stretch out for minutes, when it only could have been a few seconds. Instead of returning his smile, she gave him a pained expression and looked away, returning to her work. Gansey couldn't stop the disappointment that no doubt flashed across his face.

"She likes you too, you know" he swung his head toward the voice, to find Noah sitting opposite him. Gansey still couldn't get used to his silent entrances and he doubted he ever would. The question of how Noah knew for certain crossed Gansey's mind, but he didn't ask. Besides, he _did _know, and it was pointless information. Painful information, because it didn't change anything.

So instead, he murmured "It doesn't matter; nothing can happen between us, we both know that."

"You could be in a relationship without kissing" Noah suggested.

Gansey smiled "Kissing is not my only concern."

"Adam wouldn't care." Gansey looked up at him suddenly. In that moment he realised he hadn't had a proper conversation with Noah for a long time. Which seemed rather odd for someone he considered a close friend, a part of his corner of the universe. Perhaps he was a good candidate for those types of conversations after all.

Gansey was about to reply when Blue appeared by the table holding the half full pitcher of water "Refills anyone?" she asked loudly, and then lowered her voice. "Where are the others?" She only looked at Gansey, which made him look across the table and realise Noah was gone. Maybe he was never there in the first place.

"They all had prior engagements" he lied, not wanting to admit he'd been stood up.

Blue dragged his glass over to her and poured water into it, keeping up appearances "What's the plan? Are we going back today?"

"No. I want to find more information before going back" Blue started to protest but Gansey elaborated "it's too dangerous."

"So what? Everything we do is dangerous"

Gansey shook his head, though she had a point "I'm not risking anyone's life for something I'm looking for"

"I don't need anyone to look after me" Blue replied with clenched teeth. "You may be looking for Glendower, but I'm looking for my mother" Blue's voice wavered and Gansey had to stop himself from reaching out for her. "It's fine, I can go back without you" Blue spun on her heel and walked away from their table.

"Jane... Wait-"

"My name is Blue!" She shouted. A few people on surrounding tables glanced up at her, but she ignored them, keeping her eyes trained on Gansey. He tried to plead with his eyes, make her understand, he even tried to think of something to say, but her eyes pinned him to the spot, making it near impossible to think at all. She was the first to look away, stomping back to the kitchen.


End file.
